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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25929922">Bittersweet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePandaPopo/pseuds/ThePandaPopo'>ThePandaPopo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Angst, F/M, Luna is alive, OC death, Reader Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:54:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,237</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25929922</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePandaPopo/pseuds/ThePandaPopo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ignis can't lose you. Not here, not now. Not when he finally had you in his arms again.</p><p>Unfortunately, the Gods are rarely so kind.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ignis Scientia &amp; Reader, Ignis Scientia/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Bittersweet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Cross posted from my Tumblr.</p><p>I'm not sure if I want to leave this at 2 chapters or if I want to give it a happy ending. I'll leave it ambiguous for now, but who knows what I'll decide?</p><p>Want to know my progress on fics? Check me out on <a href="https://twitter.com/PopoWrites">Twitter</a></p><p>Sometimes <a href="https://thepandapopo.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> will see a fic update before ao3, so be sure to follow me there as well!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Every vein in your body felt like it was on fire, like the blood igniting and burning through your pale, ashen skin.</p><p>“Y/N! Y/N are you alright?” You felt soft leather gently cradle your head, coughing up blood as you were raised into a sitting position.</p><p>Through some feat of incredible will, you found the strength to open your eyes, only to see bright sea foam green staring back at you behind smudged spectacles.</p><p>“Iggy…” Shit. This was it wasn’t it? Something in you coldly accepted the very possible reality that this might be the end.</p><p>“You’ll be okay, love. I promise. Just hold on for me, okay darling? Don’t you go to sleep on me.” He was panicking now. You had never seen the strategist anything other than cool and poised, and the fact that you got to see a new side of him brought a little joy to your heart, even if being near Ignis made your heart crack even more.</p><p>You must have looked pretty bad for him to call you love. He had already made it abundantly clear that he was in no way interested in a relationship with you, or had any sentimental feeling towards you, when you overheard him talking to Noct about sacrificing you in place of the king to bring the light back to the world. After all, you had the blessings of the Six as well, and your magic was unparalleled. (Although how was he to know that your magic stemmed from a different source and not the bloodline of kings?)</p><p>Agonizing pain lanced through your body and you gave a pained groan. Unbidden tears began to track their way down your cheek, carving clear trails through the dirt and grime.</p><p>“I know, sweetheart. I know it hurts, but we’ll get you to Lunafreya soon and you’ll be alright.” The scent of spices and the warm summer sun assailed your nose as Ignis cradled you to his chest and began running at full speed towards the car. You could vaguely make out him yelling orders at Noctis to get into the driver’s seat and get back to base as quick as possible.</p><p>“Iggy…” You had to tell him. Even if he didn’t return your feelings, you would regret it forever if you didn’t say those three words to him.</p><p>In your ear, you heard the thump thumping of his heart speed up drastically. Whether it was because of the hard sprint he was currently in or the fact that he was terrified of what you were going to say next, you couldn’t tell.</p><p>“Iggy, I want to tell you something…” Your words began to slur and you fought as hard as you could to open your eyes again and focus your gaze on the strong countenance of the man who had stolen your heart. Black spots began to appear at the edges of your vision and numbness slowly started seeping into your extremities. Six above, you were so tired. It wouldn’t hurt to close your eyes for just a little bit right? What was it that you wanted to tell Iggy again?</p><p>“Y/N? Y/N?? Sweetheart, you need to stay awake. You can’t go to sleep. You can’t. You can’t.” Through the hazy darkness, you felt warm, soft hands cradle your cheek and you hummed pleasantly, leaning into the comfort. You were now laying on what you assumed was the backseat of the Regalia (if the velvet feel of leather beneath you was any indication) with your head in Ignis’s lap. It felt like your consciousness was floating in a giant pool of comforting darkness and by the Gods, you just wanted to sink into it and let it pull you down, down, down.</p><p>“Noctis! You need to <em>drive faster!” </em>You frowned as your eyebrows knit together. You didn’t like it when Iggy sounded this frightened.</p><p>“It’s okay, Iggy… You don’t need to worry.” You muttered. Your vision was now completely dark, but you could still hear the sounds around you; Gladio’s gravelly voice shouting that he had pulled out all the curatives you guys had stocked in the car.</p><p>“Iggy… I’m tired. I’m just going to take a little nap, okay? ” Down, down into that darkness…</p><p>“No! Y/N! You have to stay awake please, love.” The soft hand that was cradling your cheek was now insistently patting it, pulling you away from the black abyss you wanted to badly to sink into.</p><p>“Darling, I know that I have no right to ask anything of you…” Something wet dropped onto your cheek, was it raining? “But I swear that this is the last time I will ever make a selfish request of you. You must promise me that you will stay awake as long as you can. Can you do that for me, my love? You must keep talking to me so that you do not go to sleep, alright?”</p><p>Ignis’s heart pounded wildly in his chest, his breath coming out in haggard pants as he tried desperately to control the wavering in his voice.</p><p>He couldn’t lose you. Not here, not now. Not when he finally had you in his arms again.</p><p>“If it would make you happy…” Your weak voice drifted up to his sensitive ears, still finely tuned from the time when his eyesight had been lost.</p><p>“Yes, dearest. It would make me so very happy.” His voice nearly breaking on the last word.</p><p>You let out a shuddering breath and on your exhale, your chest remained frighteningly still until you drew a very shallow breath. At the sight of your inhale, Ignis felt his heart restart after the moment of terror had passed.</p><p>“Okay. If it makes you happy, I’ll do it for you, Iggy…” You whispered, your voice coming out strained as you mustered all the energy you could into floating in that pool of darkness instead of sinking into it.</p><p>“Thank you, darling.” He cooed, attempting to keep his tone as light as possible, despite the tears coming unbidden to his eyes. Eyes that you had healed for him, which in turn had lead you to this weakened state only worsened by the recent battle you fought.</p><p>“Tell me about your family, Y/N.” Ignis coaxed gently. “How many siblings did you have?”</p><p>Gladio watched as his childhood friend and the advisor to the king of Lucis encourage your babbling by feeding you more questions about your old life with gentle dulcet tones. The shield knew, however, how dangerously close to the edge of despair you two were currently teetering, balancing on a thin rope that held one from barely tumbling into mad grief and another from departing this world for good.</p><p>By the time Noctis had managed to pull the Regalia to a screeching halt outside a large mansion, you had already lost your hearing though you continued to babble nonsense.</p><p>“Iggy… I can’t hear anything anymore…”</p><p><em>Exhale</em>.</p><p>Gently pulling your body into his arms as quickly as possible, Ignis made a mad dash through the dimly lit hallways with Prompto ahead of him barreling through doors.</p><p><em>Inhale</em>.</p><p>“But I promised you that I would keep talking as long as I could…”</p><p>He was so close. Lunafreya was just down the other hallway. She would be able to save you, Ignis was sure of it. He ignored the screaming protest of his legs as he pushed himself even faster.</p><p>“…and I really tried, Iggy. But I don’t think I can hold on very much longer…”</p><p><em>Exhale</em>.</p><p>“Lunafreya-sama!” Ignis burst into the large sitting room, startling the young blonde who took one look at your bloody, beaten body before vacating the couch she was sitting on and making room for you.</p><p><em>Inhale</em>.</p><p>“…so I just wanted to say…”</p><p>“Please! Please…” Ignis dropped to his knees as he placed your body gently on the plush velvet, looking at the Oracle with eyes that begged her to save the one woman he loved most in the world.</p><p>“…I hope I was able to make you happy one last time…”</p><p><em>Exhale</em>.</p><p>Gladio, Noctis, and Prompto all stood to the sides their hearts in their throats as they watched the king’s betrothed attempt to work healing magic on their friend, while their brother knelt, broken and pressing your cold, limp fingers to his lips, tears silently trailing down his cheeks as he closed his eyes praying to any deity that would listen.</p><p><em>Inhale</em>.</p><p>“…and… I love you, Ignis Scientia…”</p><p><em>Exhale</em>.</p><p>
  <em>“Forever and always.”</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Forever & Always</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Forever and always... isn't that right, beloved?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Cross posted from my Tumblr @ThePandaPopo</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The moment Ignis felt your chest still and the last breath leave your lungs, he felt as though the world around him had simultaneously come crashing down and frozen in stasis.</p><p>The only thing that existed in that moment was the rapid staccato of his heart that twisted agonizingly in his chest.</p><p>“Y/N? Y/N?? No… <em>Please don’t leave me. Please!!”</em></p><p>Long, graceful fingers tangled desperately with limp ones as Ignis tried vainly to rub the warmth back into your hands that were slowly becoming cold with death.</p><p>“Ignis…” Pale fingers clamped around her mouth as Lunafreya attempted to stifle the sobs that caught in her throat. “Oh Ignis… I’m so sorry…”</p><p>“<em>Y/N, you can’t leave me. Please… I love you so much, please don’t leave me here alone…!</em>”</p><p>Gladio’s fists were clenched, the knuckles strained white with effort and bottled up grief as he watched his brother in arms heave shuddering sobs over the dead body on the plush couch.</p><p>“Ignis…” Noctis started forward, his hand extended like he wanted to comfort his childhood friend, but not knowing quite how.</p><p>How was one supposed to comfort a friend who had just lost his soulmate?</p><p>The king paused when he felt Prompto’s hand clutch at his shoulder. Looking back, he saw the gun slinger shake his head sadly, tears falling silent down his freckled cheeks.</p><p>“Just… Give him a moment alone. He deserves that much at least.” The blonde whispered softly, almost as if he were afraid that by speaking too loud, he would break the advisor even more. The others in the room nodded their agreement and silently filed out of the room, Gladio pausing briefly to send one last sad glance to his brother before closing the door with a soft click, echoing the finality of the room.</p><p>Ears ringing, Ignis tried vainly to clear the tears that were blurring his vision as he reached for your limp body, pulling you into his arms so he could clutch you closer to his breaking heart, as if the physical proximity could ease the tightness of his chest and absolutely soul shattering grief of his soul.</p><p>“<em>Y/N… Y/N… Gods… please…”</em></p><p>Lowering his head so that his forehead was touching yours, Ignis felt his sobs racking his body. You were his rock - the one person who was able to keep him grounded through your very existence - but now… </p><p>Now you were gone.</p><p>And Ignis was free falling into a black hole of despair.</p><p>“My darling… I never told you… <em>I never told you how much I loved you…</em>”</p><p>Chapped lips moved quietly against your forehead in an intimate kiss as he murmured his words into your skin, willing them to sink into you and provide you life through their sheer honesty and dedication.</p><p>“I love you more than I have ever loved anyone else. I wish…” his voice cracked and Ignis had to pause briefly to clear his clogged throat. “I wish that I had told you that before everything began falling apart. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would have told you the first time you took off your hood and sent me the most brilliant smile that nearly brought me to my knees.”</p><p>Ignis stroked your hair back as his tears continued to free fall onto your peaceful face, the salty liquid matting strands of H/C ink to your pale skin. His throat was parched from his hoarse weeping, each bob of his adams apple chaffing against his throat.</p><p>His mind barely registered the physical pain, too numb from grief and sorrow to comprehend. Emerald eyes drifted down to caress your features with his gaze, love welling up in his chest and spilling out in the form of tears.</p><p>Astrals. You were so beautiful even in death.</p><p>“Y/N… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… Please forgive me, beloved. Forgive this fool for not cherishing you when he had the opportunity to; for letting you go when I had a world of happiness in my arms.”</p><p>Eyes puffy and swollen, Ignis’ usual grace and poise completely abandoned, he pulled you into his lap as he let his back fall with a dull thud against the couch where you had breathed your last breath.</p><p>Long, slender fingers tangled their way through your hair as he pulled you close, trying to memorize your scent as if that alone could get him through the lonely years of grief ahead of him. If this was the last time he would be able to hold you in his arms, Ignis would use it to commit every soft curve and blemish to memory.</p><p>Soft moonlight filtered through the curtains of a nearby window, bathing the two broken figures in an ethereal moonlight - one never to wake again, and one whose heart would forever remain broken with regret.</p><p>
  <em>“Forever and always… isn’t that right, beloved?”</em>
</p>
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